Equine herpes outbreak still causing economic distress

Published: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 4:11 p.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, March 28, 2013 at 4:11 p.m.

The financial fallout due to the recent outbreak of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) at the HITS showgrounds in February continues, though most of the quarantines are over.

Not only was the HITS showgrounds at Post Time Farm in Blitchton quarantined, nine other farms in Marion County got caught up in the outbreak when horses that were at HITS later tested positive for the illness at the individual farms.

Betsy Calder, owner of Calder Farms in Morristion, said she has lost more than $10,000 in business because of the quarantine that affected part of her facility. She said one horse that went to HITS and was boarded at the farm tested positive for EHV-1, though the horse did not show any of the potentially fatal neurological symptoms associated with the mutant strain of the virus.

All the cases from the HITS outbreak were of the wild strain, which is a more benign form of the illness that causes flu-like symptoms in horses.

"They read herpes in the headline and they stop reading," Calder said. "The horse that tested positive (at the farm) never had a fever, it never had a cough. If you test any horse in Ocala, there's an 80 percent chance they will test positive. Most horses carry the virus."

Dr. Mike Short, a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture, says Calder’s assertions are not correct.

“That statistic has been used on many occasions, but it’s wrong. Studies have shown that 60 to 80 percent of horses have been exposed to the herpes virus and are carriers of the virus, which remains dormant. Of those horses, less than one percent will test positive,” he said.

The vast majority of horses that test positive for EHV-1 are going through an active infection.

Calder Farms is an import and export quarantine facility. Horses are housed there for a predetermined number of days before they can legally leave or enter the country. The quarantine did not include the import and export barns on the farm, but customers still continue to cancel.

"I had a Kentucky veterinarian tell me they weren't sending their horses because of the horse that died of herpes," Calder said. "I told her no horse died. And this is coming from a veterinarian. There's no explaining to them. People want to maintain their ignorance."

None of the horses affected by the illness died. Two were sent to the University of Florida for treatment and have since recovered, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Division of Animal Industry.

Calder said she understands why the state tested so aggressively, but thinks they should have done a better job of explaining the situation.

"It wasn't mentioned that our positive test was on an asymptomatic horse. I know it could have been a very serious situation, but we're the ones getting caught in the middle here," she said.

As of Thursday, all but two quarantines — one at Montera Farm in Ocala and one at Black Forest Farm in St. Augustine — were lifted.

<p>The financial fallout due to the recent outbreak of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) at the HITS showgrounds in February continues, though most of the quarantines are over.</p><p>Not only was the HITS showgrounds at Post Time Farm in Blitchton quarantined, nine other farms in Marion County got caught up in the outbreak when horses that were at HITS later tested positive for the illness at the individual farms.</p><p>Betsy Calder, owner of Calder Farms in Morristion, said she has lost more than $10,000 in business because of the quarantine that affected part of her facility. She said one horse that went to HITS and was boarded at the farm tested positive for EHV-1, though the horse did not show any of the potentially fatal neurological symptoms associated with the mutant strain of the virus.</p><p>All the cases from the HITS outbreak were of the wild strain, which is a more benign form of the illness that causes flu-like symptoms in horses.</p><p>"They read herpes in the headline and they stop reading," Calder said. "The horse that tested positive (at the farm) never had a fever, it never had a cough. If you test any horse in Ocala, there's an 80 percent chance they will test positive. Most horses carry the virus."</p><p>Dr. Mike Short, a veterinarian with the Department of Agriculture, says Calder's assertions are not correct.</p><p>“That statistic has been used on many occasions, but it's wrong. Studies have shown that 60 to 80 percent of horses have been exposed to the herpes virus and are carriers of the virus, which remains dormant. Of those horses, less than one percent will test positive,” he said.</p><p>The vast majority of horses that test positive for EHV-1 are going through an active infection.</p><p>Calder Farms is an import and export quarantine facility. Horses are housed there for a predetermined number of days before they can legally leave or enter the country. The quarantine did not include the import and export barns on the farm, but customers still continue to cancel.</p><p>"I had a Kentucky veterinarian tell me they weren't sending their horses because of the horse that died of herpes," Calder said. "I told her no horse died. And this is coming from a veterinarian. There's no explaining to them. People want to maintain their ignorance."</p><p>None of the horses affected by the illness died. Two were sent to the University of Florida for treatment and have since recovered, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, Division of Animal Industry.</p><p>Calder said she understands why the state tested so aggressively, but thinks they should have done a better job of explaining the situation.</p><p>"It wasn't mentioned that our positive test was on an asymptomatic horse. I know it could have been a very serious situation, but we're the ones getting caught in the middle here," she said.</p><p>As of Thursday, all but two quarantines — one at Montera Farm in Ocala and one at Black Forest Farm in St. Augustine — were lifted.</p><p>The farms released from quarantine include Up Country Farm, Ocala; Redfield Farm, Ocala; Flutterby Farm, Ocala; Kings Ridge Farm, Reddick; Calder Farm, Ocala; Hard Ford Farm, Reddick; Wisconsin-based Chestnut Hill (temporarily in Ocala for HITS); Brookmore Farm, Oviedo; Foxwood Farms, Pinellas Park; Littlewood Farm, Wellington; and Miles Away Farm, Loxahatchee.</p>